


Crown of Destiny

by Crystalized_Flowers



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cecil's mom should probably have a nametag, Confused!STARISH (aka background charas lol), Don't worry he comes, I think Tokiya is like the only character that isn't mentioned super early on, King!Shining, M/M, Magical Tattoo AU, Ok no everyone is in this story basically oh my god now I just need to add I don't know Aine?, Otoya's life needs to be despaired for, Prince!Otoya, Rating upgraded to T because of Ranmaru's foul mouth (also mine in the notes XD), Royal Guards!Quartet Night, Shining... is Shining, Traveller!Tokiya, Well a lot of people are human though, magicians au, non-robot!Ai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-10-10 14:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10439367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalized_Flowers/pseuds/Crystalized_Flowers
Summary: On his eighteenth birthday, Ittoki Otoya wakes up with a crown on his arm.It all goes downhill from there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otoya is done with his tattoo on the very first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is their age in ASAS. Ai is not a robot.
> 
> Spoilers for connection between Otoya and Shining, in case you don't know.
> 
> I got the idea from auideas on tumblr, whose original prompt I actually tweaked a lot, but the prompt was the following: After turning 18, every kid is required to go to special tattoo parlor where the town’s resident mage gives them a tattoo. No one knows what the tattoo will be until it’s done, not even the mage. The tattoo forms itself into a symbol that will become very important in the person’s life. On Character A’s 18th birthday, their tattoo forms itself into a crown.

He always dreamed about what his tattoo would be.

When he turned eighteen, he would be able to find out what fate had in store for him. He wondered if he would get an instrument like Masato or Natsuki and advance into the music industry or a charming rose like Ren and become a star actor. There were so many possibilities, so many choices.

It was something to be dreamt about, but also something to be dreaded.

He had heard that many Fate Tattoos had ruined people's dreams. An aspiring star who had drowned after trying to become an idol against his fate. A composer who had committed suicide after she had found out that her fate tattoo was telling her that her illness was terminal.

There were so many risks, but Otoya wanted to know how his tattoo would shape his life.

He may or may not regret that choice.

...

The very morning he receives it, Otoya is done with his tattoo.

It is barely nine in the morning when his blond best friend drags him to the library downtown. Now, this would be a strange experience in the first place, especially because Syo isn't really the type to read willingly. Also, it is only a little bit past nine on a  _Sunday_ , when Otoya would rather be sleeping.

But it is also his eighteenth birthday and his tattoo has finally presented itself, settling on his forearm.

Otoya isn't pleased in the slightest.

He had woken up at the crack of dawn due to Syo, who seemed more excited about his birthday than  _he_ was. Otoya had barely been awake when Syo had caught a glimpse of his tattoo and immediately froze up. He didn't understand what the big deal was, but the sight of his Fate Tattoo had sent the two best friends into tense silence for the next two hours.

And now he is being dragged to the  _library_ of all places on a Sunday morning, the very last place that he would want to be at.

 _Why?_ Otoya himself doesn't know.

"Syo..." The redhead whines for the umpteenth time. "Why are we going to the-"

"Do me a favor and be quiet, Otoya." Syo snaps back tightly as they reach their destination. Otoya falls silent, knowing that his best friend isn't exactly approachable when in a mood. But it is strange. Syo doesn't seem to be mad, but rather... aggravated?

"Kaoru!" Syo's voice echoes through the large library as they enter. Rather prominent glances of annoyance are shot their way as Otoya cringes at Syo's loud call. Isn't it a well-known rule not to yell in a library?

At least they don't have to wait long.

"Syo-chan!" Within seconds, a face identical to Syo's rushes out of the rows of bookshelves. His eyes are angered and exasperated as he approaches the two, his attention completely focused on his older brother. "How many times have I told you-"

Syo groans, rolling his eyes, his stiff stance disappearing momentarily in the presence of his brother. "It's the only way to get your attention, Kaoru." He brushes off Kaoru's indignant yet hushed scolding, opting to direct attention to Otoya.

"Otoya has a crown."

Kaoru freezes, much like Syo did a few hours before. The younger blond finally realizes Otoya's presence and gives him a bit of a forced smile. "Happy eighteenth birthday, Otoya-kun. A crown, huh?"

"Yeah." At this point, Otoya just plays along with the Kurusu twins' antics. There is really nothing he can do about it. He holds up his right arm, flashing the golden crown on his forearm to Kaoru. The blond's azure eyes follow the movement of his arm, staring holes into the tattoo. It is a beautiful tattoo, intricate details all over the crown, crimson rubies embedded on it. Yet every moment Kaoru stares at it, his face seems to become paler.

"Kaoru?" Otoya voices hesitantly. Honestly, he doesn't know what is wrong with his tattoo. Both twins seem like they've seen a ghost.

Suddenly, Kaoru shoots off through the bookshelves again, Syo wasting no time in following him. Otoya blinks in shock, left in the dust, but hurries after the twins.

He finds them at the reference section of the library, Kaoru flipping madly through thick books. Otoya slows his pace as he approaches them, glancing over Syo's shoulder at the books that Kaoru had removed.  _Fate Tattoo Classification_...?

"Otoya-kun. Is this your tattoo?" He looks up at Kaoru's voice. The younger twin is pointing at the picture of a crown in one of the books, an exact replica of the one placed on his forearm.

"Yeah..." he replies, causing both twins to groan simultaneously. He really can't take it anymore. "I don't get it! What is all this about?"

Syo looks up at him somberly, his blue gaze weary. "Otoya..."

"This is a magician tattoo."

...

By afternoon, when Otoya and Syo meet up with the rest of their five man idol unit for a recording, Otoya has completely given up on his tattoo.

"A magician tattoo?" Natsuki questions in surprise, staring at Otoya's arm. "But Otoya-kun isn't a magician. Nor does his tattoo move like magician tattoos do." Natsuki holds up his hand to prove a point, a delicate viola printed on his palm. As they watch, the bow dances across the strings on his skin.

Syo shrugs, being the only other magician in their group of five though he and Kaoru are still a few months away from their eighteenth birthday. His eyes are worried. "Kaoru studies Fate Tattoos, you know. Normally, magician tattoos are classified because they move on their owner's skin, though they generally stay in the same area. Magicians and humans can have the same tattoos, but human tattoos are always immobile."

"However, research believes that there are a specific group of tattoos that are never given to humans, and only to magicians of higher power. Tattoos like Otoya's are called 'power tattoos.'" He points at Otoya's forearm. "They are normally gifted to magician nobles. Us lower magicians and humans have no chance of getting them. They show signs of wealth and power, like jewels. Sometimes, it is hard to tell whether someone has a 'wealth tattoo,' but Otoya's is so blatantly one, even though he's human."

Silence falls over them.

"Maybe research is wrong." Ren suggests casually. "None of us can prove fate, after all. Ikki may be of the lower class, but he could be destined for a great future too."

None of them believe that. Class is everything in the Saotome kingdom.

Though the discrimination against humans is now gone and they are allowed to mingle and befriend magicians, there are still strict rules dividing the classes. Though magicians are allowed to do the same jobs as humans, humans are definitely not allowed to hold the higher ranking positions that magicians do. They are all forced to stay middle class, magicians dominating the upper portion of the hierarchy as well as the royal family. Though friendship and professional relationships are allowed between them, romantic and sexual relationships are still forbidden as the Saotome monarch refuses to have half-breeds roaming around his kingdom. Fate would not mess with his system like that.

"That's ridiculous, Jinguji." Masato dismisses his idea immediately. After a bit of thought, he turns his analytical sapphire eyes onto Otoya. "I believe that the only possible solution is that Ittoki could be a magician."

Otoya splutters at the prospect and Syo actually bursts out laughing at the idea. "Come on, Masato!" His laughter lessens some of their tension. "Otoya has never produced a speck of magic in his life. He's an orphan but even if his parents were magicians, he would have started emitting sparks at a young age or something."

"Not all magicians produce sparks, Ochibi-chan." Ren smirks, jumping at the chance to provoke the blond. "It's probably only you, because you use lightning magic."

"Don't call me Ochibi!"

"Stop, you two." Masato's serious voice breaks through the banter that is about to start. "Ittoki's situation is important. We all  _know_ how much King Shining hates discrepancies against the system of fate. If King Shining recognizes his tattoo as a 'power tattoo,' who knows what he could do. He's an unpredictable monarch."

Otoya freezes at Masato's words. It's true, now that he thought about it. Who knows what their monarch would do. He hadn't even thought about that yet. What would he do? Have Otoya examined? Thrown in jail? Killed? It can't be that extreme, right?

Natsuki then speaks, his voice full of concern. "He wouldn't think that Otoya is the leader of the human revolution, right?"

Four pairs of eyes swing to him, confusion evident, Otoya horrified at the thought. Natsuki blinks at them owlishly before elaborating. "Otoya-kun has a crown tattoo. Crowns represent royalty, right? There are rumors of a human revolution going around due to suppression and they're being backed by a lot of magicians as well. His Majesty wouldn't think that Otoya is the human that will take over his crown, would he?"

The interpreted meanings just went downhill from there.

...

By evening, his life has spiraled out of control, and Otoya one thousand percent blames his tattoo.

"I'm home..." he calls out wearily as he opens the door to his house. The lights are on in the kitchen, and he can hear his adoptive mother cooking from the scraping of pots and pans.

"Welcome back!" There's shuffling in the kitchen and as Otoya takes off his shoes, her kind face pops into the hallway, her gray eyes excited. "Happy birthday, Otoya dear. You left so suddenly with Syo-kun this morning that I didn't even have a chance to congratulate you."

"Thanks, mom." He mumbles, fighting to untie one of his shoelaces which had gotten stuck in a knot.

She frowns, noticing his somber mood. Her voice is full of concern. "Otoya...? What's your tattoo?"

...ok, this could be really bad.

His foster mother is magician, possessing a type of healing magic that allowed her to get a high position as part of the royal medical team. He had always found her amazing for getting such a role, especially when so many different types of healing magic existed out there.

It's not as if Otoya does not want to tell her. He's just afraid that with her working so close to the king would get the information leaked. He really could not risk the king finding out about this discrepancy after all of the wild interpretations his friends made.

...but he really cannot escape such a direct question from the mother figure that had cared about him for most of his life.

"...it's a crown."

Much like Syo and Kaoru, she freezes, staring at him in horror. Her eyes search his, looking for any signs of insincerity.

There isn't any.

"A... crown?" She echoes slowly, her happy expression crumbling.

"Yes." He's practically used to it at this point. "It's a power tattoo, I know. Which shouldn't be happening because I'm human-"

"No, no, no, no, no." Her frantic voice cuts him off and he watches her in surprise as she grips his shoulders, her eyes darting around his face frantically. He stumbles back at the force she applies. "No, t-that's not the problem."

What?

He stays quiet for her to explain, but she babbles on incoherently.

"He's going to come. He's going to take you away from me. I thought he agreed to stay out of your life! But this is a crown. A crown of all things- Why can't we just leave the past behind?" Her voice grows higher and more hysterical with each word and she grabs onto him as she slides down to the floor on her knees. Otoya is shocked at her reaction and freezes before his duty as a son takes over and he obeys his instinct to calm her down as quick as possible.

He quickly texts Syo to come over - he doesn't live far away and he really needs some support right now - before kneeling down besides his sobbing foster mother. He doesn't know what to do, but simply wraps his arms around her, hoping that it would help.

They stay in that position, his mother choking out barely understandable phrases between sobs and Otoya helplessly humming a soothing childhood song to comfort her because of whatever she's freaking out about. But honestly, he is so done. It's his eighteenth birthday, and everything was a mess due to the moderately sized crown embedded in his arm.

And he barely knows why.

He doesn't have to wait long before there is a rap on the door and - thank god for Syo - he practically leaps to answer it.

"Sy-" The syllable doesn't even make it completely out of his mouth.

It isn't Syo at the door. As soon as he opens the door, he is met with serious space gray eyes. He blinks in shock before looking the man up and down, noting the snow white cloak that swathed his body, dark pants and matching white boots. But what makes the most impression is the royal family's emblem printed on the side of his cloak.

He recognizes the outfit. All of the Saotome kingdom's citizens were trained to. Because when the royal guards came into view, they were supposed to make way for their king.

"Ittoki Otoya?" The man asks, a slight smile rising to his face. He doesn't seem like the type to stay really serious, but that does not comfort Otoya one bit.

He can't answer. What does the royal guard want with him?

"Reiji, did you find him?" A higher pitched voice cuts through the air and over the shoulder of the royal guard, Otoya can see three more men dressed identically approaching his doorstep in the dark. He can tell that the leading figure is a young cyan-haired guard with angelic features once their faces are illuminated by the light that shines from Otoya's home. His hair is tied up in a ponytail on the left side, loosely tumbling over his shoulder on the right. Following behind him is a spiky silver-haired guard who is grumbling beneath his breath and a stoic blond.

"Yep, Ai-Ai~"

"See? I told you it was that house, you peasant!"

"Peasant?! We're of the same rank, you stuck-up-"

"Be quiet." The cyan-haired teen emits a scary aura, immediately shutting the other two guards up. He sighs gracefully in exasperation before brushing past the brunet guard. His teal eyes meet with Otoya's and they narrow. "You are Ittoki Otoya?"

The authority in his tone makes Otoya feel compelled to answer. "Y-yes," he replies, glancing over his shoulder, hoping that his mother does not hear this conversation. She is hysterical enough.

He hears the young guard hum in reply and when he turns back to face him, his eyes are completely emotionless. "I see. Ittoki Otoya, we have come here today to tell you..."

The nervousness that he had already felt before seems to spike up and suddenly he can barely hear the teen, only the blood pounding in his ears. It is as if his body knew of his fate, of the life-changing words that the young guard would tell an once normal human teen.

"...that you have been summoned by King Shining Saotome."

By the end of his first day of being eighteen years old, Ittoki Otoya's life has already turned upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this isn't super terrible or confusing since I've been in a bit of a slump lately -_-;
> 
> Ok, if everyone hasn't realized, Fate Tattoos are tattoos with an object that represent a part of a person's fate. They show on a person's body when they turn eighteen.
> 
> And there are two ethnicities in the kingdom. The higher class are magicians, who use magic obviously, and the lower class are the humans.
> 
> Ai-chan being authoritative is for my own pleasure, lol.
> 
> I am determined to fight through a multi-chapter, so I'm writing this.
> 
> I promise the second chapter will be better. I struggled so much to figure out a way to start this AU.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otoya cannot describe the carriage ride to the palace being anything other than strange.
> 
> Not because of the ride itself, more because of these four guards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks guys, for a positive reaction to the first chapter~
> 
> Just wondering, should I add more pairings? It doesn't really affect the plot either way, but let me know if you guys want to see some (I believe STARISH will be mostly minor characters for the beginning half of the story, so QN?)
> 
> I also love irony (XD) so if some of the characters (namely magicians) use magic that reeaaaally don't seem like them... yeah, well, it was for my own amusement (namely Ai and Ranmaru lol).

Otoya doesn't dare to speak a word, but cannot help staring at the cyan-haired guard seated with perfect posture across from him in the carriage, illuminated by a small bulb hanging from the ceiling. His name is still unknown to Otoya, but he's fascinated. His foster mother is a magician, so it isn't like they weren't well off, but the young guard seems more like a prince than a guard, even though royal guards usually came from noble lineage. The angles of his face contribute to his beauty, his exotic cyan hair seeming smooth and silky. Badges unlike the others cover his cloak, designating him the leader of the royal guards. He is watching the twilight outside the window, but Otoya is almost completely sure that he is aware of his gaze.

On the other hand, the silver-haired man seems practically the opposite. He is probably just as well groomed as the other judging from his appearance, but he slouches in his seat, his hands tossed carelessly behind his head. His eyes are shut, but snap open the moment he senses Otoya's gaze. His sharp heterochromatic glare pierces into him, his violet eye making him all the more intimidating. Otoya flinches, averting his gaze immediately, but not before noting the spear tattoo that zoomed across the older man's arm.

"Um!" He really can't help himself, but he is fascinated by these magician nobles that he never thought that he would ever meet. The two guards' eyes immediately focus on him the moment he utters a noise. "I-I was just wondering, but what types of magic do you use?" They are magicians, aren't they? There is no way that a royal guard would be human.

If they are surprised by his question, they do not show it. Although, it would be much more reasonable for him to asking why he was being summoned by the king. The younger guard answers, his face emotionless.

"I wield plant magic. Ranmaru uses animal magic, though he seems to be most fond of cats." His response causes the other guard to bristle.

"Shut up, Ai." The silver-haired man growls, sitting up in his seat. "Reiji didn't think it was too funny when I summoned a snow leopard. Do you want me to summon a herbivore?"

"No, thank you. I would prefer for the mediums of my magic to be undamaged. Though according to my calculations, I doubt that any herbivores that you could summon would be able to match the speed of my magic."

Ranmaru rolls his eyes. "That's why I enhance them with more magic, genius."

Otoya watches their light banter, caught off guard by how easily the stiff silence in the carriage was broken. Honestly the guards had seemed like very stiff people at first, and their higher status made him feel as if they would ignore him completely. It's a slight comfort to him for the nobles to not be as discriminatory as the system made them seem.

It's also quite hilarious. The silver-haired guard named Ranmaru seems to get more aggravated as time goes on, but the younger guard, Ai, never seems fazed by anything that Ranmaru spits out. His composure remains calm and emotionless, only marred by the small smirk that can't help but rise to his face at times.

 _So he can be a bit devious, huh._ Otoya smiles internally at the scene, thinking that it would be nice to get know the two guards better. Ai does seem to only be around his age, perhaps even younger, despite being the leader of the royal guard.

He quickly realizes the gravity of his thought. After all, he isn't here to enjoy himself. He's being summoned to the king. For what, he still doesn't know. But considering the timing and his tattoo...

He feels like even though his friends were freaking out about what his tattoo could mean this afternoon, the reality of the situation hadn't sunk in until now.

He is being summoned to  _the king._ For what? Possibly to be accused for treason.

He goes numb, staring at his hands.  _Oh god._ He hadn't even had a chance to tell his friends or his mother, who he left behind when the guards had ushered him out to their carriage, of his fate.

He doesn't notice that the guards have finally quieted until Ranmaru's gruff voice breaks through his thoughts. "Looks like it finally sunk in to the kid."

"It's only natural. The gravity of the situation was probably too much for him to fully register at first." Ai states calmly, his expression returning to blankness.

"I would say 'don't worry,' kid." He looks up at Ranmaru's voice, which has returned to normal from being pissed off. The silver-haired guard shrugs at him. "But I dunno what you did, and the king is pretty unpredictable."

"You don't know?" Otoya is surprised. He would have expected the guards to know what he was being brought in for; after all, they would have to know the gravity of his actions to prepare for capturing him.

"I don't know. Ai knows, of course, though he's not allowed to tell us. But he seems to be pretty comfortable around you, so whatever you did to be called in, it can't be that bad."

"He's not dangerous." Ai clarifies.

 _Not dangerous?_ So, he isn't being called in for treason?

The cyan-haired guard studies him, an unreadable look in his eyes. After a few uncomfortable moments on Otoya's part, a small, sincere smile makes its way to his face, his angelic aura growing. "In fact," he hints mysteriously, "you may even enjoy your time here, depending on how you choose to spend it."

Both of the other occupants of the carriage shoot him strange glances and just as Otoya opens his mouth to ask, he jolts forward, nearly flying out of his seat as the carriage jerks to a stop.

Ai sighs in exasperation again and Ranmaru simply groans as a commotion grows steadily louder from where the drivers were seated. Otoya can hear the voice of the brunet guard - Reiji - apologizing profusely, though not completely sincerely from the laughter that taints his voice, and the other guard scolding him for his incompetent way of braking.

"Camus." Ai's voice is tinged in annoyance as he raises his voice to reach the others outside. "Have we arrived?"

The commotion gradually quiets and Otoya is once again impressed by the amount of authority Ai holds over the older men. After a few moments, the carriage door opens, and the blond man named Camus comes into view on the grass besides the carriage.

His sky blue eyes are solemn as he nods slightly to his leader before announcing, "We have arrived. Ittoki Otoya, welcome to Shining Palace."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super short chapter. Sorry.
> 
> The next chapter is important and I kinda wanted to keep everyone in suspense for a little longer.
> 
> Also, forgot to mention, but because this is an AU, there are a lot of differences in the backgrounds (and maybe even character. I'm sorry, Ranmaru may be the tiniest bit OOC, I don't think I made him hostile enough) of canon characters, but not going to tell you most of them because you'll find out.
> 
> Finally, I haven't decided yet (that's why I asked you guys, so please tell me), but I'm a huge Ran x Ai shipper so if you see some bit out of place Ran x Ai interactions, it's self-indulgent XD. I haven't wrote them in a romantic sense in this chapter yet, but well, give me your opinion.
> 
> Thanks for reading~  
> ~Crystal


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The audience with the king doesn't quite go the way Otoya expects it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... If anyone realizes, I put up a RanAi story a while back but I took it down not soon after, because I realize if I move on to a different story, this one would be discontinued eventually and I really wanna finish this. Also, that one wasn't all that well planned out (not that this one is either though ^^;). But since I feel bad for deleting it, I am gonna add RanAi into this story.
> 
> Also I know I'm making Ranmaru rather nicer than he is in canon, I'm sorry, but that's just the way it'll be.
> 
> Sorry for taking so long to do this chapter! I really have no excuse.
> 
> Well, here's chapter 3. The thing I worry most about this story is that I'm pacing it too fast, but this does take place in the same day as chapters 1 and 2, so please forgive me for jumping into the story too fast and I would gladly accept advice on pace.

The royal palace is breathtaking. Otoya has never seen anything like it before, which arguably does not count for much since he doesn't travel much at all. It is strange for him to leave the little town that his friends and family resided in at all.

The lights illuminating the walkway don't allow him to see the palace in its full glory, but it's enough for him to marvel at the beauty of the structure. These thoughts are short-lived though, because even though Ai's words earlier are comforting, the situation is still enough to instill great fear in Otoya.

The guards march him to the entrance of the palace in a tight formation, with Ai standing in front of him and the rest surrounding him in the other three directions. Otoya stares holes in the back of the cyan haired guard, his mind elsewhere as panic takes over his body. He holds onto his conversation with Ranmaru and Ai tightly, desperately hoping for the best.

He starts as the young guard in front of him turns his head slightly, just enough so that he can catch Otoya's gaze. There is a look in his eyes, not reassuring, but knowing. He says nothing though, and turns back around to address the guards with crossed spears at the gates.

As they finally reach the interior of the palace, the bright rays of light from the chandelier on the ceiling blinds Otoya for a few seconds. The palace is well furnished and void of any specks of dust. It looks like one of the palaces in a picture book his mother had read to him as a child. The situation just gets realer and Otoya's palms begin to sweat profusely. He wipes them on his plain clothes, wondering for a fleet second how shabby a commoner like him must look to the king.

"Man, I really don't think that I've seen as many summons as frightened as you." A quiet voice comes from his right and Otoya whips his head in the direction to meet the space gray eyes of Reiji. "Shiny isn't really that scary, you know. And you probably already know the punishment for whatever you did and prepared for it, so there really isn't much but accepting your fate."

"Don't just say whatever you want, Reiji." Ranmaru snaps from the left. "That's the thing: he knows as much about his crime as we do."

"Don't address his Majesty in such an informal manner." Camus adds from behind, his tone icy.

Reiji seems surprised, blinking a few times. "Eh? He doesn't even know what he did? Then why is he so scared? For all he knows, it can be something good!"

"I hope so." Otoya mutters, clenching the hem of his shirt in his fists.

"All of you, be quiet." The four look up to meet the death glare of Ai. "Stop being so talkative in the palace. This isn't fun and games."

Ranmaru and Camus obey silently, while Reiji lets out a quiet, "Yes, sir~" before stopping. The rest of the walk is spent in silence.

The entourage soon comes to a halt in front of a set of grand doors. They are engraved with complicated designs weaved of gold and the royal emblem standing proudly upon it. Otoya gulps at the intimidating sight as Ai walks forward, falling to one knee in front of the door. "Ai Mikaze, leader of the royal guard. Permission to enter, your Majesty."

"Permission granted." A deep voice rings out from within and the doors are swung open by two servants who seem even better dressed than Otoya is. Ai steps forth without hesitance, making his way into the throne room.

Otoya doesn't realize that he has frozen in place until Ranmaru lightly jabs him in the side. The older guard's gaze is slightly sympathetic, but urging him forward. He's trembling as the three guards around him lead him forwards as their leader falls to his knee again in front of the throne.

The king. King Shining Saotome. He is seated on the velvet throne, his face serious and dark red hair in a unique style that reminds Otoya of horns. His coffee brown eyes are dark and unreadable as his attention immediately hones in on Otoya. He wears no crown, but that does not make him any more approachable.

A crushing pressure is placed on his left shoulder and Otoya mimics Ai, falling to a knee in respect.

"I have brought Ittoki Otoya, your Majesty." Ai's clear voice echoes throughout the large room. 

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaze." Otoya had heard that the king was famous for his way of speaking, but he hears nothing but seriousness from the voice that speaks now. It is a deep voice though, and the tiniest bit familiar.

Ai nods slightly, standing up. With a tiny gesture of his hand, the other guards also rise to their feet, joining Ai to stand on either side of the king's throne. Otoya's mind whirls and he clenches his fists tightly as the ever so slightly comforting presences of the four royal guards disappear. Now it is just him alone, bearing the heavy gaze of the king.

"Ittoki Otoya," booms the king. "Raise your head."

Otoya hastily complies. He isn't sure what kind of expression his face holds, but the king frowns in disapproval, turning to Ai.

"Why does he seem so frightened?"

Ranmaru seems to be resisting the urge to snort in laughter next to his leader, a grin is fighting its way onto Reiji's face, and Camus is as stoic as ever. Ai deadpans in return.

"Your Majesty, have you ever thought that being called to an audience with the king would be frightening for a commoner? Who also has no idea what you're calling him for?"

Otoya blinks in shock at the cyan-haired guard's tone and Reiji and Ranmaru fail to restrain their laughter.

The king opens his mouth to speak again, but Ai beats him to it.

"And don't tell me to just tell him to ease his fear because you  _did_ want to tell him personally and I don't believe telling him would ease his fear anyways."

The king still attempts to speak, but Ai just sighs. "Your Majesty, just get on with the audience."

Shining glares at Ai for interrupting him once more, but relents when Ai is unfazed by the sharp gaze. He turns his attention back to the kneeling redhead. "Ittoki Otoya, have no fear. You are not being condemned today for a crime you have committed."

"You are here because you, though illegitimate, are the heir to the throne. And now, it has been decided that you need to train for that position."

As if Otoya's world hadn't crumbled enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised to make this chapter longer, but I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to end there, but I wanted to post after not posting in such a long time. I didn't know when I would finish the rest.
> 
> I haven't given up on this yet though, I promise.
> 
> So sorry *bows*.
> 
> See you guys next time~  
> ~Crystal


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast with Shining and some ground rules as Prince Otoya. And big revelations. Which Otoya doesn't like. Not one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look what's being updated.
> 
> Anyways,
> 
> I'm writing this now since the school year's done but it was so hard to dive into this chapter after a few months.
> 
> Sorry about the hiatus, guys, but enjoy the chapter.
> 
> (Side note: this story sorta inspired my RanAi story (A scream). Sorta. You'll see how soon.)

Otoya wakes up feeling dizzy. He sits up, groaning at the incessant pounding in his head. Somehow, it feels like he just had a very vibrant dream.

He rubs his eyes, blinking as his blurry view focuses on reality. The reality which reveals the heavily decorated four poster bed which he lies upon, the fresh silky garment which he wears, the elaborate chandelier which is currently not in use due to the dim morning light shining through the thin curtains, and the questioning call of "Prince?" growing gradually louder from right outside his double doors.

Indeed, what happened last night was  _not_ a dream.

A sudden crash startles him, the lock on his door shattering as it is forcefully kicked open. In the doorway stands Ranmaru, rolling his eyes, as a maid bows frantically in apology. Otoya stares at them in shock.

"Oi, answer the door the next time someone knocks." The silver-haired man pushes some stray strands out of his eyes, looking extra cranky. Otoya blinks, not having a chance to reply before commotion grew from outside.

"What's going on?!" An urgent voice gradually grows louder and Ai appears in the doorway, the decorative flowers next to Otoya's bed writhing wildly with his appearance. He calms as he realizes that no one is harmed. "What happened, Ranmaru?"

The older guard grumbles out a short and incoherent explanation before sauntering out of the room. Ai rolls his eyes a bit fondly at his back, clearly understanding what he was trying to convey, and after dismissing the maid, turns to Otoya, bowing towards him. "I apologize, your Highness. As you can see, Ranmaru is not a morning person."

"Why... did he, um, kick down the door?"

"As the prince, I am sure that this is one of the policies that you will have to get used to. It is palace policy to break open a door to a room a royal resides within after three knocks. This is due to the fact that we do not know if the reason that you are not responding is because you are busy or sleeping or because you have been abducted. For your safety, your Highness, please keep this in mind." He answers emotionlessly.

"G-Got it," he manages.

"Now, I believe that the maid was to call you down for breakfast." Ai glances at a nearby clock. "You better hurry, his Majesty is expecting you."

...

Breakfast with the king is one of the most awkward things that Otoya has ever experienced. This was the king after all. Coupled with how he is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that this is his father. He is overly conscious of his table manners, especially considering how he could hear Ai let out a small sigh every time he acts out of line. The king doesn't correct him, simply watching him closely as he fumbles with his silverware out of nerves.

Otoya feels inclined to say something -  _anything_ really - but considering the room is silent save for the clinking of silverware and the maids bustling around while the guards stand quietly by the doors, he keeps quiet. The king himself makes no effort to attempt at small talk, leading Otoya to believe that he should stay silent.

He hears a light cough from the entrance of the dining hall, which reoccurs as no one does anything to acknowledge it except for Ranmaru's quiet hiss of "Reiji!". Finally, Reiji can't stay silent anymore.

"Can you guys stop being so awkward and  _talk_?" Otoya jumps a little at the guard's outburst, glancing over at the four at the door nervously. Ai smiles politely at the Otoya's attention while Ranmaru and Camus pounce on Reiji behind him.

"Carry on, your Highness. I'll simply... enforce some discipline later." Ai's soft voice doesn't change in tone and Otoya shivers at the thought.

Otoya hears a small cough from the king, causing him to whip his attention back to him. He must seem pathetic, acting so jumpy, but he really can't help it.

The king's eyes narrow on Reiji for a second, and Ai slips in front of the quarreling guards, giving a tight-lipped smile. He seems to have a small, silent exchange with Ai before he turns to Otoya with a resigned look.

"If we must speak, I may as well tell you a few ground rules you must follow as a prince." Shining informs him. Now that Otoya is not as panicked as last night (albeit slightly), he can finally tell that Shining  _does_ indeed have a unique way of speaking, drawling out some words while saying others in an accent, one that Otoya is sure that he has heard somewhere, but cannot exactly place.

Otoya straightens and places his utensils down, ready to pay full attention. He feels relief wash over him when the corners of Shining's mouth turn up and his eyes hint approval at his action. He snaps his fingers and the maids obediently leave the room.

"To begin with, I'm sure that you are confused on how you have a Power Tattoo when you are completely human, right?" Otoya nods eagerly. Finally, the answer-

"You're not," Shining says bluntly. "I'm sure you must have guessed this already, considering you  _are_ my biological son."

Otoya stares at him in disbelief. Wait,  _what?_

The realization comes crashing down on him. That's right, he had forgotten that Shining is indeed a magician. A quite powerful one at that. In all his shock at finding out that he is the heir of the Saotome throne, he had forgotten that fact.

But, if so-

"Then, why don't I have magic?"

"That was a mistake of mine." Shining does not seem very apologetic or concerned of the fact. "Your mother was a human."

Oh. "What?" Otoya doesn't think he heard right.

" _What?!_ " This catches even the attention of the royal guards. Even Ai seems shocked, recoiling. Otoya is surprised that they don't know either, before he remembers that even the eldest of the royal guards, Reiji, would have only been eight at the time, a mere child who definitely wouldn't have been recruited into the royal guard yet.

"Your Majesty-"

"What the fuck, Shining?!"

"This can't be-"

"Your Highness, you do not wield magic?" Ai finally asks, hushing the others. Otoya shakes his head slowly in response. Ai's brows furrow. "True. He never did mention which he was. I just assumed with the information I knew that he was magician. That was quite a miscalculation."

"That's not important, Ai!" Ranmaru snarls. "Shining, you broke your own fucking system!"

"If you recall correctly," Shining replies calmly. "I instituted these laws about seventeen years ago, after Mr. Ittoki was born. Before that, it was simply a cultural taboo for cross relationships to exist, but not illegal. I made these laws so that no one would repeat such a mistake."

Otoya reels from those words. Did his own father just call him a mistake?

But he was right. It was taboo.

He  _is_ taboo.

"What of my mother?" he murmurs quietly. Shining hears him.

"Of course, I disposed of her," is the cold reply. Shining's voice has taken for a dark tone. He doesn't seem to like to discuss this scandal. "You needed to be raised by someone who wouldn't tell the secret of your origin and would raise you correctly." His foster mother flashed in his mind. Was this why she was so highly valued in the royal medical team? Because she cared for the illegitimate prince? "I also needed to make sure that in the case that I had no heir, you would be able to take over. I can't hide the fact that you are illegitimate because I've never married, but you needed to have a magician mother to hide the fact that you are a half-breed."

His words sting and Otoya realizes that under the mask, he is indeed a king with his own pride and skin to save. But Otoya can't fight him. He's helpless to the situation. He nods stiffly.

"Now that I have explained the situation, we need to discuss your rules as the prince."

Shining raises his hand, ticking off his fingers. "First of all, you need to maintain your status as a magician. Does anyone know that your tattoo does not move?"

"My friends and my mother."

"Mr. Mikaze?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Ai still seems a bit miffed at the fact that Otoya was the product of cross breeding like the rest of the royal guards, and the hope that they won't treat him differently flits through his mind. They were actually pretty pleasing to converse with.

Despite this, Ai steps forward dutifully. "Prince, there is a deficiency called Motus Syndrome. It doesn't affect many magicians, but it restricts the movement of the Fate Tattoo. You will pretend to be diagnosed with this syndrome, considering that your tattoo doesn't move at all. I will give you more information on this as needed, provided that you need it in the future."

Shining picks up right after Ai finishes. "Second, you must pretend to have magic. Mr. Kotobuki and Mr. Camus will escort you to your magic tutor after breakfast. He will determine your affinity and though you do not have magic, he will help you pretend to use it. Perhaps if you pretend enough, you may actually gain a bit of magic."

 _Simple... enough?_ Otoya guesses.

"Third, you must attend all of your lessons. You need to be educated in the royal ways,  _especially_ with manners and courtesy. I will not have you embarrassing this kingdom."

Otoya swallows at the dark tone.

"Finally, you may not leave the palace at any time without direct permission from me."

Otoya blinks. "That's... it?"

"Of course not," Shining draws out the syllables. "I did say ground rules. Mr. Mikaze can tell you the rest if needed."

Shining seemed to push quite a few responsibilities onto Ai...

"If that's all, I do need to get going. Your meeting with your tutor is at nine."

Otoya barely recalls what he is talking about before Shining leaves the room in a flourish, Ai and Ranmaru following him out. He glances at the clock hanging besides the doors that close with a bang.

Shoot, there were two minutes till nine!

Reiji snickers as he and Camus follow Otoya out, the cooling food left behind for the maids to clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't the reasons for Shining's laws similar to the canon "No Love" Rule? XD
> 
> Motus is an absolute bs name and the result of a translate.com probably screwing up the Latin language.
> 
> I'm gonna do a bunch of rambling here ignore this if you don't wanna read through. It's a lot of me trying to make you guys suspicious and wonder about what will happen next though XD.
> 
> That accent of Shining's, I wonder where it comes from? *ponders*
> 
> Well, duh of course I know, but well, is this important? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it's just my headcanon ;)
> 
> Lol, reading through the previous chapters, I was like wow why did people even read this, the plot is so- and then I realized I haven't even gotten to the major stuff yet so.
> 
> Then I was writing and I was like why don't I mention this- shit, delete, delete didn't get there yet, BACK UPPPP CRYSTAL.
> 
> Does anyone get me? Like when you plan and you forget that shit didn't go down yet in what you wrote. (Also btw my planning is on Google Docs and because China hates Google af I can't access it rn (they freaking ban google literally), watch me make a mistake with my own goddamn plot.)
> 
> ALSO, I just got a full of shit yet hilarious idea for a subplot in this story while writing and I'm currently dying imagining Shining freaking out XDDDD. But well, I do have to check my original planning to make sure this shit works.


End file.
